Possibly going to Vegas...what to do?

[chager]

My Dh has to go to Vegas in a couple weeks for business and I am considering traveling with him. I have been looking at places to stay and things to do. I know I won't be gambling becuase that is not my nature so what else can I see or do on my own? Does anyone have any room recommendation that will be under $100/ night and have free parking? I have found The Monte Carlo, Luxor, New York New York, and Excaliber. Any Suggestions??

 

[marybet]

We were there last Jan. and are going again this year. Last year we walked to all the hotels, not to gamble, they are all so interesting. You can go see a show. Treasure Island has a pirate ship battle right outside, it is free. You can do side trips to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. If you are a Star Trek fan you can go to the Hilton for "Star Trek the Experience", we went and it was a blast. This year we are going to see Elton John and also thinking about a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. You will have a great time and never have to gamble.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Those are all nice hotels and located on the end of the strip with the "mega-casinos". AAA seems to have the cheapest rates and priceline (the pick your hotel method) is comparable with AAA. All have free parking (and if you go straight to a higher level you can usually get parking right by the elevator). You can walk between all those hotels too and the NY NY is right there as well.

You can walk but it's a bit far there is the the Belliago, Ceasers Palace and Venitian are about half way down and they all have nice shopping areas. The Mandalay Bay has an amazing shark encounter, the Belligao has an amazing water show (free). They also have free parking in a structure.

Check the weather, it will most likely be cold.

Just so you're aware, there are people on the street who hand out cards (similar to post cards) for "adult entertainment". They are not allowed to talk to you or touch you or thrust them in your hands. Just ignore them (unless you want to take the card). If you end up holding a card throw it in a trash can. There are a ton on the sidewalks but if you get caught dropping it you'll be ticketed for littering. They are totally harmless it's just something that may shock you if you didn't know about it.

Finally, unless gambling is something you oppose (and that is totally fine) I recommend you play one 25 cent slot anywhere. I;m not a big gambler but it doesn't feel like a trip to Vegas if I don't play a 25 cent slot.

Have fun!

 

[mommaU4]

Take me too! We'll go shopping, have lunch, see shows. Oh all right I guess I have to stay home.
But you need to go and have a blast for me. Promise?

To answer your question there is a ton you can do while your there. There is a great mall (huge) and all the hotels have their own shopping areas, so you could easily spend tons of time doing that. Especially check out the Forum shops in Caesar's Palace. ( free to window shop)

You must go to the Bellagio and see the water show/fountains out front and the garden room on the inside. (Free)

Go to Paris and take the elevator up the Eiffel tower for a breathtaking view of the strip. (Pay)

Go to the M&M World store and look at all the cool stuff, 4 floors worth!! And right next door is Coca Cola world. (free unless you buy something)

Go to MGM and see their lion exhibit. (Free)

Go to the Rio and see their parade in the sky (free) and eat at the world buffet.

The possibilities are numerous. There are a ton of restaurants to choose from.
You must go to In-n-Out burger too! Ask anyone from CA., AZ. or NV. they are yummy and only in those states.

Your best bet is to go to Vegas.com and just look at everything that catches your eye. There is a ton of shows to chose from too. Maybe you and your DH can catch one in the evening together.

As for hotels the parking is free at all of them, just a tip for the valet. Out of the ones you choose we like the Luxor because we like the whole Egyptian feel to it. And the elevators that go "sideways" are cool too. Excalibur is okay too. The castle is pretty at night.

Have fun and let me know how it goes. I started a thread on Vegas awhile back. I'll see if I can find it and bump it up for you. It might have some interesting info on it for you. Good luck! I'm so jealous!

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Dh and I went to Vegas in May and had a blast. I dont gamble much!
We explored the different hotels, went to Mandalay Bay to the shark encounter, Lion Habitat and dolphin show at Mirage, went to Madame Toussoud's wax museum at Venetian, and just wlaked thru many hotels-they are amazing!We stayed at the Mirage which we loved! We saw Cirque Du Soleil's Ka, Celine Dion's concert, dined in some really great restaurants, went golfing, and spent an afternoon at the spa getting massages! We loved Vegas and would go back!

 

[chager]

Check the weather, it will most likely be cold.

Just so you're aware, there are people on the street who hand out cards (similar to post cards) for "adult entertainment". They are not allowed to talk to you or touch you or thrust them in your hands. Just ignore them (unless you want to take the card). If you end up holding a card throw it in a trash can. There are a ton on the sidewalks but if you get caught dropping it you'll be ticketed for littering. They are totally harmless it's just something that may shock you if you didn't know about it.

Finally, unless gambling is something you oppose (and that is totally fine) I recommend you play one 25 cent slot anywhere. I;m not a big gambler but it doesn't feel like a trip to Vegas if I don't play a 25 cent slot.

Have fun!

Ok...cold as in 30 degrees or cold as in 50 degrees?? Just wondering what type of clothes I need
Im not opposed to gambling so I may try the slot. Someone I know just told me a story about her first visit to Vegas and using a slot machine. She said all the sirens went off and she thought she broke the machine or something. Then the quarters came out and she got upset because she didn't know how she was going to carry them all and she she didn't want to wrap them. Someone then showed her the bucket on top and told her they would give her cash at the counter. I'm glad she told me becuase although I understand the siren thing I wouldn't know where to find a way to carry the coins or cash them in if I won.
I already read I need comfy shoes, so I figure the shoes I wear at WDW should work
Keep all the ideas coming!! I think I will print this off and take it with me if I get to go

 

[mommaU4]

I second the votes to go to the Pirate show which is free and the shark exhibit at Mandalay Bay which is not free. Also Mirage has a nightly exploding volcano which is kinda cool.

Oh and if you and DH get a chance you must ride the gondolas in the Venetian. Dh and I did it and loved it. Kinda cheesy but fun and they serenade you.

And at night you should go downtown and see the Freemont street light show. It's free but you'll have to pay for parking there. And don't go there alone. It's something to see but a whole nother side of Vegas can be found down there so be careful. Just stay where the tourist areas are and you'll be fine.

And if your into Elvis there's an Elvis O'Rama museum you could check out.

 

[scrump]

The buffets are yummy! We like the ones at the Paris and Bellagio!

 

[antmaril]

FYI -- The original pirate show at Treasure Island no longer exists. The new show is now more adult themed.

I highly recommend you see one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. Either Mystere at Treasure Island (my favorite), "O" at Bellagio or Ka at MGM Grand. I've seen all three and they are very entertaining.

For under $100, I would recommend the Flamingo. The location cannot be beat. All the others you have mentioned are excellent too, with the exception of Excalibur. This is a place I would avoid. Just not the same experience as the others, in my opinion.

Breakfast buffet at Paris Hotel is fantastic, as is dinner at Mon Ami Gabi also in the Paris Hotel.

If you enjoy shopping, Vegas can't be beat. Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, Desert Passage in Aladdin, Canal Shoppes in the Venetian and the Fashion Show Mall across from the Wynn. BIG FUN!

Have fun!

 

[Nite0wl71]

We went to Vegas in August and stayed at the Flamingo. It is really nice and right in the center of the strip. I went with my DD21, my cousin, her DD21 and her neice21. We saw all the free things, we also went to the wax museum at the Venetian and it was nice. Saw a fashion show at the mall, the girls really liked this one, it was fall men's fashion

We don't really gamble but we played the slots .25 an .05 cents. My DD won $1000 on the .05 slots at The Sahara the first night we were there.

I wanted to go to Hoover Dam but we ran out of time, we went from Tuesday thru Friday. Guess I'll have to go back.

By the way since we were all female the cardslappers never tried to hand us a card.

 

[golfgal]

http://www.orleanscasino.com/

We stayed here the one time we were in Vegas. It is off the strip but we had a beautiful view of the strip. The rooms are in the $40-60/night range. They rooms were large, they have a movie theater and bowling alley on site, there is a large pool and they have a free shuttle to/from the strip and airport.

We spent an entire day walking up and down the strip just going through the different hotels. We didn't make it to even half the hotels. You could spend a couple days doing this and not spend a dime.

 

[crz4mm2]

I don't think it is every really "cold" in Vegas LOL. at least cold to some of us who get snow and ice!
I loved just walking in and out of the resorts. Lots to see and that doesn't cost a thing. It is gorgeous in Vegas.
How long will you be there?
Can go to Lasvegastalk.com and get lots of info.
Have a great time.
I love vegas (and I don't gamble much either!).

Cathy

 

[Gary M]

Go to http://www.travelworm.com/ and see hotel rates. I know the Orleans will match these rates and maybe some of the other hotels will. When we stayed at the Orleans, I told them the travelworm rate and they said they would match any discount rate, just tell them where you found the rate.

 

[Gary M]

You said you will be going to Vegas in a couple of weeks, I just checked travelworm and for Nov. 28 and 29 The Orleans room price is $18 per night, 30th is $32 and Dec. 1 is $46.

Golfgal mentioned The Orleans and we have also stayed there several times. The only problem for some people is the Orleans isn't on the strip. They do have a free shuttle to the strip. I have stayed in several strip hotels Mirage, NY NY, MGM, Flamingo, etc. and the rooms at the Orleans are as nice if not better than the strip hotels IMHO.

 

[phisigprincess]

You can spend most of your time just looking around. The hotels are unreal!!! I think I gambled about $8 in 7 days, but I still had a blast.

 

[hydster]

We love Vegas and usually go at least 4 times a year. The hotels you listed are nice and we love the Monte Carlo because it isn't a huge casino you have to walk through to get outside and they have an awesome brew pub. From MGM to the Stratosphere there is a monorail which is really convenient to use instead of walking. Everything looks a LOT closer than it really is and you will be doing a ton of walking.

Some of the fun stuff to do is the Shark Reef at Manadalay Bay, NYNY has a roller coaster, MGM Has the lion exhibit which is free of charge, Luxor has Imax theatres, Bellagio has the fountains and an Art Museum which is featuring some great paintings right now (we just got back a couple of weeks ago) they have the conservatory at Bellagio as well, Paris has the Eifel tower and if the weather is nice their restaurant Mon Ami Gabi is yummy and it's fun to sit outside and watch people. Caesars has the forum shops, they have Fall of Atlantis which is neat and a huge aquarium. The Flamingo has a wildlife habitat with penguins and flamingos that you can look at for free. Venetian has the gondolas and some fun shopping places and they also have an Art Gallery but they get really mad if you get even somewhat close to any of the paintings. Mirage has a Dolphin habitat, the volcano and a wildlife habitat. Treasure Island has a new more "adult" show outside for free but they only do it twice a night so it gets pretty crowded. There is a tram that goes from Bellagio to Monte Carlo and one that goes from Mirage to Treasure Island which will save you some walking if you go down that far.

We've stayed at almost all of the hotels there but we do have our favorites. Paris, Monte Carlo, Venetian and NYNY are some of our favorites. I didn't really care for the Bellagio but I don't like the "stuffy" feel there. The Flamingo Hilton has nice rooms and we stayed there a few weeks ago. They also have the Margaritaville restaurant/bar at Flamingo.

If you have more questions feel free to PM me! I think we've gone to Vegas about 20 times in the last 4 years so I feel kind of like an expert

Heidi

 

[hydster]

We love Vegas and usually go at least 4 times a year. The hotels you listed are nice and we love the Monte Carlo because it isn't a huge casino you have to walk through to get outside and they have an awesome brew pub. From MGM to the Stratosphere there is a monorail which is really convenient to use instead of walking. Everything looks a LOT closer than it really is and you will be doing a ton of walking.

Some of the fun stuff to do is the Shark Reef at Manadalay Bay, NYNY has a roller coaster, MGM Has the lion exhibit which is free of charge, Luxor has Imax theatres, Bellagio has the fountains and an Art Museum which is featuring some great paintings right now (we just got back a couple of weeks ago) they have the conservatory at Bellagio as well, Paris has the Eifel tower and if the weather is nice their restaurant Mon Ami Gabi is yummy and it's fun to sit outside and watch people. Caesars has the forum shops, they have Fall of Atlantis which is neat and a huge aquarium. The Flamingo has a wildlife habitat with penguins and flamingos that you can look at for free. Venetian has the gondolas and some fun shopping places and they also have an Art Gallery but they get really mad if you get even somewhat close to any of the paintings. Mirage has a Dolphin habitat, the volcano and a wildlife habitat. Treasure Island has a new more "adult" show outside for free but they only do it twice a night so it gets pretty crowded. There is a tram that goes from Bellagio to Monte Carlo and one that goes from Mirage to Treasure Island which will save you some walking if you go down that far.

We've stayed at almost all of the hotels there but we do have our favorites. Paris, Monte Carlo, Venetian and NYNY are some of our favorites. I didn't really care for the Bellagio but I don't like the "stuffy" feel there. The Flamingo Hilton has nice rooms and we stayed there a few weeks ago. They also have the Margaritaville restaurant/bar at Flamingo.

If you have more questions feel free to PM me! I think we've gone to Vegas about 20 times in the last 4 years so I feel kind of like an expert

Heidi

 

[chager]

I appreciate everyone's input. I am still waiting to hear from DH about what area we need to be close to. He will be driving back and forth to different locations for his job so my concern is I can get around fairly easily without a vehicle. It sounds like that will be possible. I'm going to email him the link for this thread so he can figure out where we are staying based evryone's opinions. I told him it looks like it will be cheaper to stay at a "resort" type place then the Holiday inn Express His company says keep it under $100/night on average. It looks like I will get to go so I am really excited. We will be ther Nov 27 - Dec 3 or so. Our boys are a little jealous..lol So is my dad. My parents are going to come take care of the boys while we are gone. I am soooo looking forward to a break! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!!

 

[Kae]

I second the Flamigo-location is the best. Plus there is 2 Sephora stores. We really enjoyed the buffett at the Mirage. At the Belligo the Conseratory is free & beautiful, we also went the see the Monet showing at Belligo not free but awsome.

Kae

 

[sunkissed212]

I'd like to throw a show recommendation out there for you. Go see the Blue Man Group at the Luxor. It really is an amazing show. We went when we were there a few years ago and I fought my parents until the last possible minute, I didn't want to go. I was stunned. It was amazing and I can't wait to go back to Vegas again to see it!